Hoist the Colours

Scoot's Story unfolds...........

SCOOT has been Adopted!

She is doing great and is HUGE, friendly and loves everyone

  "Hoist the Colours" is a paint filly and was born July 4th at 12:57a

"Stardust" is a 20 year old kind, sweet quarter horse mare who was purchased by the kill buyer HEAVILY PREGNANT.  The foal is due in March.  Yes, they slaughter pregnant mares, they cut the foal out and throw it on the gut pile according to one slaughterhouse worker.  They do not take the "time" to kill it, it will die soon enough they say. 

This foal WILL be born and WILL have a good life.  We have PROMISED Stardust.  Her vision is deteriorating due to uveitis.

Bay and Stardust

May 24th....finally there is milk collecting!

Stardust is SO READY to have this foal!!!

June 4th! 

Stardust is a gorgeous, kind, sweet spirit and we are sure her foal will be!  Please donate for the foal to secure a healthy future!

Welcome "Hoist the Colours" born July 4th at 12:57am

 Hoist the Colours, or Scoot as she is becoming known for her hoping around, has had a difficult beginning.  She has an angular deformity in her left front leg.  The knee leans inward toward the other knee.  Because of this she was slow to stand and slower still to remain standing.  She is unable to balance and turn her head to reach to nurse because of this and the fact that she is VERY TALL. Through the early morning hours we worked with the vet to assist her to no avail.  We settled on bottle feeding for now and Stardust is fine with me milking her and transporting it to Scoot.  I have never seen such an incredible mother....never.

As I type, Scoot rests under Stardust who is about to have her dinner. Today we closed the barn to allow for a stress free environment. Tomorrow with luck the doors can open and Scoot can stretch her legs a bit outdoors.  Paul is off to locate a brace....or create one.  God, I married right!  Follow Scoots story here as it unfolds.  She has a touch of destiny about her. My friend Kelly saved Stardust and she had the luck of coming here to us.  Or shall I say we have had the luck of having her here. 3000 miles this pregnant mare traveled to safety.  Scared and losing her sight, pregnant and obviously formerly extremely well cared for, she arrived like a lady and has carried herself as such ever since.

I guess now is the time to explain the Amaryllis name, because everyone wonders about this foals name.  You see, The Amaryllis was a great ship.  The ship's captain was a great man.  He promised that if ever anything happened at sea, he would send a sign that your spirit goes on....that Atlantis really exists.  A fantastic storm did indeed take the Amaryllis one night.  All were lost.  For years the sea captain's wife walked the ocean shores hoping for the promised sign.  Suddenly it was there on the beach.  The figure head of the Amaryllis, a clear sign as promised.  The woman was overjoyed and carried it into her house.  The next day the sea rose and waved swept threateningly into her yard.  The sea was demanding the return of what was rightfully it's own.  The Amaryllis could not travel without it's eyes. The woman held fast as long as she could, not wanting to let go of her gift.  When all hope was lost and she realized the sea would claim her as well, she threw the figure head back into the ocean. Her home destroyed and she being elderly, her son came to summon her to live with him.  As she unhappily climbed into the carriage, she took one more look out to sea.  There she saw something unusual.  It was an Amaryllis...the flower floating on the waves. Her grand daughter ran and retrieved it and rushed it back to the woman. It was not a native flower.

This is not our only plane of existence, as Jonathan Livingston Seagull would say. What we do here on this earth, we carry forward into heaven or another plane of existence perhaps first. Signs this is true are around us all the time.

So, there you have Amaryllis.  In 1989 it began with a saved Arabian named Walter, Buster, Rascal and Cindy.  It has quietly grown ever since.

As the Amaryllis "sails" along toward its goal of prohibition for horse slaughter, we gain momentum.  As the momentum builds, we are able to speak to increasingly more solar beings...meaning people who really do care about doing what is right by the horses and the planet as a whole!

At this turning point in our adventure, it is time we "HOIST THE COLOURS" on our ship of good will and seize the winds that will blow us into our destiny.........

A full sanctuary for all that need safety, care and understanding, rehabilitation and retirement, hospice and hope........and unyielding love.

Take us there Scoot.  Your reason to be on earth is about to unfold..........in this I have no doubt.

July 5th at 2:10am Scoot balanced well enough to begin to nurse on her OWN!!! Yea!  All night every 40 minutes or so she would jump up and whinny and happily nurse.  Stardust and I are quite relieved! The vet ordered a leg brace.  Donations are needed NOW.  We need to have x-rays done!

The cards have started to arrive, thank you!

X-rays were taken July 5th 7pm

Coaxing Scoot into the big wide world outside the stall

The leg brace is $450 a month to rent and $2500 to buy.  CAN YOU FIND IT IN YOUR HEART TO HELP THIS LITTLE GIRL?  WE ARE OUT OF FUNDS. THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO WITHOUT YOU............YES, YOU! PLEASE DONATE.

Today is Monday, July 7th.  Scoot's leg is swollen and hurting her. What a horrible first experience, "welcome to the world....you were born in the 'richest zip code' in the nation, but because everyone seems to think everyone else is financing the needs, you will limp around little girl."

I often wonder why all don't give some.  Why do some have to give all??? 3% of Amaryllis patrons support 97% of Amaryllis. I wonder what the other 97% support.

I am going to go (((((hug)))))) Scoot and promise her it will all be okay....

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Good news all around!  The company gave us a huge break because of our rescue status, several angels walked in the door here and low and behold we HAVE THE BRACE! The brace will be on Scoot not a moment too soon, as her right front leg is bowed out hard now from weight bearing while we waiting for money to order the brace. It is a shame we had to wait like that. Thanks to Melissa and Ryan Kaiser, Christa and Holly Schliecher, Kiera Mullen, Victoria Schell and Carlie Feldman and a pledge from Faith and Jade Diskin!

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July 12th.  The brace is on and we begin our systematic approach to getting her used to wearing it.  It is very sad to watch a baby hop around on a brace.

July 14th:

Bay finally gets to meet Scoot:

Thank you everybody for helping me.  I want to grow big and strong and I want to help teach people about us horses!

emergency... Scoot has taken a strong turn for the worse.  The leg brace is not working and her good leg is now bowed out almost to the degree of the bad leg...this means that once again she CANNOT nurse.  I am currently trying to get my hands on a mare's milk replacement as she is growing weak.  I am also trying to get a professional flown in to evaluate her needs orthopedic wise....PRAY NOW, we are not out of this yet.

We await the answers from the evaluation of the x-rays by leading surgeons.

Waiting for the racetrack vet thoughts.  All others agree that there should be decent improvement with braces. Farrier will have to do a hoof lateral extension on good leg to support better, it is completely bowing outward.  She is running a 102.2 temp today. More meds.  This is incredible stress for a baby. She is fighting hard.  Send her good thoughts........it helps.

Okay, 7/24...still on meds. Temp 102 again this morning.  All surgeons agree no surgery.  There is a sever joint laxicity within the joint capsule. Yesterday the farrier applied glue on shoes with lateral support.  She now wears the brace tight on the left leg 12 hours and the right leg 12 hours and is on absolute stall rest.  So, here's a list of current costs without the vet (haven't gotten that bill yet). Farrier $300. Feed supplementation from Buckeye Nutrition $275. Rite Aid supplies $125. Stall screen door so she does not have to think she lives in a box $200. The x-rays and daily vet care will be close to $1000 at this point.  I will add photos today.......just wanted to update quick.  She is growing fast and she is full of fire.

Update: August 18th.............Scoot is doing extremely well.  She suffered a hideous bedsore and has become unable to wear the brace now but the legs are straightening.  The farrier glue on corrective shoeing seems to have made the most remarkable difference.  We bought her every imaginable stall toy to ease the boredom of being on stall rest.  She is enormous.  She is growing so quickly, it is astonishing!  Come visit!  Keep up with the prayers!

August 24:

Never underestimate the power of prayer!

"Hey daddy, I bet I can run as fast as you now!"

June 1, 2009